The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1887-01-26
THE ERA OF PEACE.
Mr. Grady's Grand Grafton and s'Harper'
Weekly's" Hearty Comments Upon It..

pearanee of Mr.. Trenholm, of South
Carolina, the Comptroller of the Cur
rency, and Mr.. Grady, Of Georgia, the |
editor of the Atlanta Constitution. as
guests at the annual dinner Of the New
England Society, in Philadelphia and
New York respectively. The strain Of
remark at these noted dinners is al
ways patriotic, and the speeches natur-
ally TEEN with glowing and tender allu-
sions to the civil war and the Union sol
diers. 1t was signal sign, therefore,
of the actual situation that two of the
strongest Confederates should rise in
the midst of such Northern company
as gather at these dinners, and by their
personal bearing no less than by the
earnestness and eloquence of their
speeches should show to the most skep-
tical what worthy foes they had been,
and what sincere friends they are.
To these distinguished orators who
in the two great cities spoke for the
new South must be added Mr.. James
Phelan, of Tennessee, who is just
elected to Congress in the Memphis
district, and who in his own district
and among his own Southern fellow
citizens proved himself to be, with Mr..
Trenholm and Mr.. Grady, man of
broad comprehension and sagacious
views. All Of these gentlemen, it must
be understood, speak as men who,
without remuneration of their local feel
ing, of their State pride or of their
honor and affection for the men with
whom they stood fast for what they
held to be a true cause, own without
reservation its defeat and the conse-
quent total change Of conditions in the
life around them. Thus Mr.. Phelan
says:
"Bitter to my taste as were the results of the
civil war, day after day has reconciled me to
them and convinced me Of the wisdom of cheer
full submission to the will of Him who brought
them about. The union of these States has
been preserved and declared indissOluble. A
great and disturbing constitutional question
has been finally and forever settled, and slavery
has been forever abolished: it no longer tar
nishes the fair fame of o great and free Repub-
lie. Because it was involved in the question OF
constitutional right fought four years in its
| defense. / tell you now, upon the honor of my
| manhood, that would fight eight years, though
my hairs are white, against any attempt to re-
instate it in any portion OF this continent
| Mr.. Grady's speech was one of the
most striking that have been delivered
by any citizen of a Southern State since
the war. 1t was very eloquent. His
| tribute to Abraham Lincoln was very
impressive, and the effect of his address
delivered to that New England COM
pany will be most serviceable to the
country:
"Great types, like valuable plants are slow
/ to flower and fruit, but from the union OF these
colonies came he who stands Us the first typical
American, the first who comprehended within
himself all the strength and greatness, all the
majesty and grace, of this Republic-Abraham
Lincoln. He was the sum of Puritan and Cava
lier, for in his ardent nature were fused the
1 virtues of both, and in the depths of his great
! soul the faults OF both were lost: but he was
l greater than Puritan, greater than Cavalier, in
that he was American, and in that in his hone-
| ly form were first gathered the vast and ster
ling forces of this Republic charging it with such
1 tremendous meaning and SO elevating it above
human suffering that martyrdom, though in
1 famously aimed, came as a fitting crown to a
| life consecrated from the cradle to human lib
erty."
Mr.. Grady said also:
1.-THE relations of the Southern people with
the negro are close and cordial Weremembel
with what fidelity he guarded our defenceless
women and children, whose husbands and faith
ers were fighting against his freedom. To his
eternal credit be it said that whenever he
struck a blow for his own liberty he fought in
/ open battle, and when at last he raised his
/ black and humble hands that the shackles
might be struck Off those hands were innocent
of wrong against his helpless charges, and
worthy to be taken in loving grasp by every
man who honors loyalty and devotion Ruf
i fans have maltreated him, rascals have misled
him. but his treatment in the South to-day is
an honorable protest against injustice to this
simple ana sincere people. Faith has been
kept with him in spite of calumnious assertion:
| to the contrary by those who assume to speak
for us or by frank opponents. Faith will be
kept with him in the future If the South hold!
her reason and integrity. The new South j!
enamored Of her new work. Her soul is stirred
with the breath OF new life. AS she stands
full-statured and equal among the people of the
|
upon the limitless horizon, she understand
that her emancipation came because, in the in
scrutable wisdom Of God her honest pnrpos,
was crossed and her brave armies beaten
This is said in no spirit Of time-servng an(
apology should be unjust to the South If
did not make this plain in this presence
His closing appeal to New England
whether she will "permit the preju
dice of the war to remain in the hearts
Of the conquerors when it has died il
the hearts of the conquered" was mos
touching and impressive. New England
certainly would be recreant to her owr
best impulses if the appeal were no
answered in the same manly and friend
ly spirit in which it is made.-Harper'
Weekly.
Instead of an injury to reform
The repeal Of the Tenure-of-O Office Law
is a signal service. 1t goes far to plac
The responsibility for nomination
where it belongs-upon the President
But it does not accomplish that resul
entirely so long as Senatorial cour
tesy'' gives the practical power Of con
: tirmation in each State to one or tw
Senator'S, whose ascendancy in deter
mining nominations becomes conse
luently very great. The repeal of tn
aw should be followed by open Sc:
sions to consider Executive nomina
lions, and by statement of reason
Tor removal. which must be volm
!ary Executive act, and then some of tn
| urnrst o,-ilc of tho Snoils s1sfana x,,o,ll